Epoch Investment Partners Inc. Buys 9,901 Shares of Waters Corporation $WAT

Key Points

• Epoch Investment Partners Inc. increased its stake in Waters Corporation by 6.0%, acquiring an additional 9,901 shares, bringing its total ownership to 173,791 shares valued at approximately $64 million.
• Currently, 94.01% of Waters Corporation's stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors, reflecting strong institutional interest in the company.
• Waters reported $2.95 EPS for the latest quarter, outperforming estimates, and its revenue grew by 8.8% compared to the previous year, indicating strong financial performance.

Epoch Investment Partners Inc. raised its stake in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 6.0% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 173,791 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after acquiring an additional 9,901 shares during the period. Epoch Investment Partners Inc. owned about 0.29% of Waters worth $64,054,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of WAT. Olde Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Waters in the first quarter valued at about $25,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT purchased a new stake in Waters in the 1st quarter valued at about $28,000. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its position in shares of Waters by 118.9% during the 1st quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 81 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Waters by 5,200.0% during the 1st quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 106 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 104 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Waters in the 1st quarter worth approximately $41,000. 94.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently commented on WAT shares. Robert W. Baird dropped their price target on Waters from $374.00 to $352.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating on shares of Waters in a research note on Tuesday, July 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $315.00 target price on Waters and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 5th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Waters from $330.00 to $315.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 5th. Finally, Bank of America increased their price target on shares of Waters from $370.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, June 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Waters has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $378.73.

Waters Price Performance

WAT opened at $296.72 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $17.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.76, a PEG ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $312.40 and a 200-day moving average price of $340.51. Waters Corporation has a twelve month low of $275.05 and a twelve month high of $423.56.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.95 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.93 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $771.33 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $745.96 million. Waters had a net margin of 21.71% and a return on equity of 38.60%. Waters's revenue was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.63 EPS. Waters has set its Q3 2025 guidance at 3.150-3.250 EPS. FY 2025 guidance at 12.950-13.050 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Waters Corporation will post 12.86 EPS for the current year.

Waters Profile

Waters Corporation provides analytical workflow solutions in Asia, the Americas, and Europe. It operates through two segments: Waters and TA. The company designs, manufactures, sells, and services high and ultra-performance liquid chromatography, as well as mass spectrometry (MS) technology systems and support products, including chromatography columns, other consumable products, and post-warranty service plans.

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